The Presidents of Ireland: From 1938 Until 2015 The Presidents of Ireland: From 1938 Until 2015 European History Expert By Robert Wilde The Republic of Ireland emerged from a protracted struggle with the British Government during the first half of the nineteenth century, leaving the landmass of 'Ireland' divided into two. Self-government initially returned to Southern Ireland in 1922 when the country became a 'Free State' in the British Commonwealth. Further campaigning followed, and in 1939 the Irish Free State adopted a new constitution, replaced the British monarch with an elected president and became 'Éire', 'Ireland'. Full independence - and complete withdrawal from the British Commonwealth - followed with the declaration of the Republic of Ireland in 1949. This is a chronological list of the presidents of Ireland; the dates given are the periods of said rule. 1. Douglas Hyde 1938 – 1945 An experienced academic and professor rather than a politician, Hyde’s career was dominated by his desire to preserve and promote the Gaelic language.

Such was the impact of his work that he was supported by all the main parties in the election which made him the first president of Ireland. continue reading below our video What are the Seven Wonders of the World 2. Sean Thomas O'Kelly 1945 – 1959 Unlike Hyde, O’Kelly was a long time politician who was involved in the early years of Sinn Féin, fought against the British in the Easter Rising, and worked in succeeding layers of government, including that of Eamon de Valeria, who would succeed him. O’Kelly was elected for the maximum two terms, and then retired. 3. Eámon de Valera 1959 – 1973 Perhaps the most famous Irish politician of the presidential era (and with good reason), Eamon de Valera was taoiseach / prime minister and then president of the sovereign, independent Ireland he did so much to create. A president of Sinn Féin in 1917, founder of Fianna Fáil in 1926, he was also a respected academic. 4.

Erskin Childers 1973 – 1974 Eskine Childers was the son of Robert Erskine Childers, an acclaimed writer and politician who was executed in the struggle for independence. After taking a job at a newspaper owned by De Valera’s family, he became a politician and served in many positions, eventually being elected president in 1973. However, he died the next year. 5. Cearbhall O'Dalaigh 1974 – 1976 A career in law saw O'Dalaigh become Ireland’s youngest attorney general, a Supreme Court judge and chief justice, as well as a judge in the burgeoning European system. He became president in 1974, but his fears over the nature of an Emergency Powers Bill, itself a reaction to IRA terrorism, led him to resign. 6. Patrick Hillery 1976 – 1990 After several years of upheaval, Hillery bought stability to the presidency, and after saying he would only serve one term was asked back by the main parties to stand for a second. A medic, he transitioned into politics and he served in the government and the EEC. 7.

Mary Robinson 1990 – 1997 Mary Robinson was an accomplished lawyer, a professor in her field, and had a record of promoting humans rights when she was elected president, and she became the most visible holder of the office to that date, touring and promoting Ireland’s interests. When her seven years were up she moved into a role as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and still campaigns on the issues. 8. Mary McAleese 1997 – 2011 The first president of Ireland to be born in Northern Ireland, McAleese was another lawyer who transitioned into politics, and who turned a controversial start into a career as one of the best regarded presidents of Ireland. 9. Michael D Higgins 2011 - A published poet, respected academic and long-time Labour politician, Higgins was considered an incendiary figure early on but turned into something of a national treasure, winning the election in no small part due to his speaking ability. BBC ON THIS DAY | 8 | 1990: Ireland elects first woman president 1990: Ireland elects first woman president Voters in the Republic of Ireland have chosen their first female president.

Unofficial returns suggest that Mary Robinson, who is standing as an independent, took nearly 40% of the vote in the first round. Ireland's system of proportional representation means the result will not be confirmed until tomorrow. But Mrs Robinson's performance in the first round means it is now impossible for anybody else to win. Senior sources in the camp of her main opponent, former deputy prime minister, Brian Lenihan, have already conceded victory to Mrs Robinson. It is the first time in 70 years that a presidential candidate put up by Mr Lenihan's party, Fianna Fail, has been defeated. Mrs Robinson, a Dublin barrister, is considered radical by Irish terms. A civil and human rights lawyer, she has campaigned for the liberalisation of laws prohibiting divorce and abortion for more than 20 years. However, she not only won the support of women countrywide but also polled well in traditionally conservative rural areas. The mother-of-three has been a member of the Irish Senate for more than 20 years. She twice ran unsuccessfully for parliament as a Labour candidate. But five years ago she resigned from the Irish Labour party over the Anglo-Irish agreement because she felt unionists in Northern Ireland had not been consulted.

Ireland, Republic of: History Ireland, Republic of History After the establishment by treaty with Great Britain of the Irish Free State (Jan., 1922), civil war broke out between supporters of the treaty and opponents, who refused to accept the partition of Ireland and the retention of any ties with Britain. The antitreaty forces, embodied in the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and led by Eamon De Valera , were defeated, although the IRA continued as a secret terrorist organization. William Cosgrave became the first prime minister. De Valera and his followers, the Fianna Fáil party, agreed to take the oath of allegiance to the British crown and entered the Dáil in 1927. In 1932, De Valera became prime minister, and under his administration a new constitution was promulgated (1937), establishing the sovereign nation of Ireland, or Eire, within the Commonwealth of Nations. De Valera's policies aimed at the political and economic independence and union of all of Ireland.

The loyalty oath to the crown was abolished, and certain economic provisions of the 1921 treaty with England were repudiated, leading to an "economic war" (1932–38) with Britain. During World War II, Eire remained neutral and vigorously protested Allied military activity in Northern Ireland. The British were denied the use of Irish ports, and German and Japanese agents were allowed to operate in the country. Some 60,000 Irish citizens, however, volunteered to serve with the British armed forces, including some 7,000 who deserted from the Irish army. The people of Eire suffered relatively little hardship during the war and even profited from increased food exports. The postwar period brought a sharp rise in the cost of living and a decline in population, due in great part to steady emigration to Northern Ireland, Great Britain, and other countries. In 1948, Prime Minister Costello demanded total independence from Great Britain and reunification with the six counties of Northern Ireland. The Republic of Ireland was proclaimed on Apr. 18, 1949. The country withdrew from the Commonwealth and formally claimed jurisdiction over the Ulster counties.

It was admitted to the United Nations in 1955. Nothing came of the claim to Ulster, and during the 1950s and 60s the republic and Northern Ireland improved their economic relations. The later decade also saw an all-time low in Irish population, 2.82 million in 1961. In the late 1960s the problem of Northern Ireland flared up again in bitter fighting between the Protestant majority and Catholic minority there, aggravated by the actions of the IRA, which was headquartered in the republic. In 1973, Erskine H. Childers succeeded De Valera as president of Ireland, and Liam Cosgrave , at the head of a Fine Gael–Labor coalition, replaced Jack Lynch , of Fianna Fáil, as prime minister. In the same year the republic joined the European Community (now the European Union ). Childers died in 1974 and was succeeded by Cearbhal O. Dalaigh. Lynch led Fianna Fáil back into office in 1977; in 1979 fellow party member Charles Haughey replaced Lynch as prime minister.

In 1981 a Fine Gael–Labor coalition headed by Garret FitzGerald defeated Fianna Fáil on an economic platform. Although ousted in 1982, the coalition was governing again six months later. Beginning in the late 1970s the republic's political situation was more fluid than it had been; there were several general elections and a variety of party schisms. In 1987, Haughey again became prime minister. As unemployment soared, especially among young people, outmigration increased, reaching a peak of 44,000 in 1989. During the 1990s, the economy grew significantly, buoyed by EU subsidies and new foreign investment. By the end of the decade, unemployment was below the EU average, although pockets of poverty persisted. In late 1994, after the IRA and Protestant militias agreed to a cease-fire, efforts were begun to negotiate a settlement of the the Northern Ireland issue. Despite some setbacks, agreements were reached in Apr., 1998, and approved by voters in both the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland in May.

Women's issues, such as the government's strong antiabortion stance and the constitutional ban on divorce, also became a focus in the 1990s; a referendum legalizing divorce passed by a narrow margin in 1995. In 1991, Ireland elected its first female president, Mary Robinson, and in 1997 Mary McAleese became its first president from Northern Ireland. In 1992, Albert Reynolds , of Fianna Fáil, replaced Charles Haughey as prime minister, and when the governing coalition collapsed, Reynolds successfully formed another. The Reynolds government fell in 1994, and Fine Gael leader John Bruton succeeded him, heading a Fine Gael–Labor coalition. Bertie Ahern became prime minister in 1997, heading a Fianna Fáil–Progressive Democrat coalition; his coalition was returned to office in 2002. Revelations in 2006 that Ahern had received loans from business acquaintances in 1993–94 while he was finance minister and had not yet repaid them sparked controversy.

Ahern said his attempts to repay them had been refused; he did repay the loans soon after they were became public. In 2007 Ahern led his party to another victory at the polls, but Progressive Democrat losses led to the addition of the Green party to the governing coalition. Investigation into Ahern's finances revealed he had received additional secret cash payments in the early 1990s, and in May, 2008, he resigned because the investigation was undermining his government. Deputy Prime Minister Brian Cowen succeeded Ahern as Fianna Fáil leader and prime minister. In June, 2008, Irish voters rejected the European Union's Lisbon Treaty amid concerns over the loss of Irish sovereignty. The Irish, who voted in a referendum because of conflicts between the treaty and the Irish constitution, were the only national electorate given a chance to vote on the treaty. A second vote on the Lisbon Treaty in Sept., 2009, following EU guarantees designed to allay Irish concerns, resulted in the treaty's approval.

Ireland officially entered what became a prolonged recession in Sept., 2008, ending more than a decade of growth that had earned its economy the nickname "Celtic Tiger." By the end of 2008, the collapse of Ireland's booming property market threatened the Irish banking system, especially the Anglo Irish Bank, which was nationalized in early 2009. In Sept., 2010, the total cost of Ireland's bailout of its banking system was estimated to be ultimately €40 billion , with roughly three fourths of that incurred due to the Anglo Irish Bank. In November the markets had forced Ireland to agree to an €85 billion international rescue package, and the country was forced to adopt additional austerity measures and radically overhaul its banks. The Green party remained in the governing coalition but called for an early election, and Cowen, who resigned as party leader (Jan., 2011), was forced to call for an early election when the Greens quit the government. In the February contest, Fine Gael and Labor placed first and second, with the former almost winning a majority. The two parties formed a coalition government in March, with Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny as prime minister.

A government proposal to abolish the Senate was rejected in a referendum in Oct., 2013. The country has experienced slow growth since 2011, but unemployment, which went above 10% for the first time in a decade in 2009, peaked at 15% in 2012. Unemployment has since declined below 13%, and the country emerged from financial rescue program and its restrictions at the end of 2013. Sections in this article: Ireland Timeline | TIME For Kids The first known inhabitants settle in Ireland. 600-150 B.C. Celtic tribes arrive on the island. 432 A.D. St. Patrick arrives in Ireland, bringing Christianity. (The Protestant faith did not yet exist.) 1541 Britain's King Henry VIII is declared King of Ireland by Englishmen living in Ireland. He opposes the Catholic religion. 1608 Britain's King James I sends thousands of Protestant English farmers to Ireland to take over land owned by Catholic farmers, mostly in the north. 1692 New laws forbid Catholics to vote, own land or practice their religion. Such laws remain in effect until 1829.

1845-1849 A potato blight kills Ireland's staple food crop. About a million people die from starvation and fever during the Great Potato Famine. POPPERFOTO/GETTY IMAGES 1916 The Easter Rebellion. Armed Irish patriots rebel against British troops in Dublin, Ireland, on the Monday after Easter. The British execute rebel leaders. 1919-1921 The Anglo-Irish War between the British and the Irish Republican Army. In a treaty, Britain finally gives up control of most of Ireland but tightens its grip on the six counties of Ulster (Northern Ireland). 1921-1923 Irish Civil War between those who accept the treaty with the English and the Irish Republican Army, which wants all of Ireland to be free of British rule. The Republicans lose. 1949 Britain declares Ulster a permanent part of the British Empire. The lower 26 counties of Ireland declare themselves the Irish Republic, totally free of British control.

GETTY IMAGES 1972 During anti-British protests in the Ulster town of Londonderry on January 30, 13 unarmed marchers are killed by British troops, an event now known as Bloody Sunday. Britain imposes direct rule on Ulster. A more intense era of bloodshed begins. The Irish call this violence the Troubles. 1990 Mary Robinson becomes the first woman president of Ireland. PA/AP 1998 Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland adopt on The Good Friday Agreement, an important step in the peace process. 2002 Irish Presidents ï¿½ Dubhghlas de hï¿½de / Douglas Hyde 1938-1945 Dubhghlas de hï¿½de was born in Sligo but he grew up in French Park, county Roscommon. He was a co-founder of Conradh na Gaeilge (The Gaelic League), was also a poet and a playwright and he was Professor of Irish at UCD.

He became Ireland's first President at the age of 78 on June 25, 1938 without an election as an agreed candidate and retired from office on June 24, 1945. He passed away on July 12, 1949, aged 89. ï¿½ Seï¿½n T. ï¿½ Ceallaigh 1945-1959 Seï¿½n T. ï¿½ Ceallaigh was born in Dublin. He was a founder of Sinn Fï¿½in and fought in the 1916 Easter Rising. He was elected to the Dï¿½il as a member of Fianna Fï¿½il and served as a government minister. He became President on June 25, 1945. He served both his two, seven year terms and retired on June 24, 1959. He died on November 23,1966 at the age of 84. ï¿½ ï¿½amon de Valera 1959-1973 ï¿½amon De Valera was born in New York.

He was one of the leaders of the 1916 Rising and for his role he was sentenced to death by the British. However it was later commuted to life imprisonment but he was released from jail in 1917 and in the 1918 General Election led Sinn Fï¿½in to a landslide victory. He was the biggest opponent of the Treaty but after the Civil War he left Sinn Fï¿½in and founded Fianna Fï¿½il (1926). He was Taoiseach on three occasions and wrote the 1937 Constitution- Bunreacht na hï¿½ireann. He was 76 when he was elected President on June 25, 1959 and served two terms in office before he retired on June 24, 1973. De Valera died on August 28, 1975 aged 92, having been at the forefront of Irish politics for over half a century. ï¿½ Erskine Childers 1973-1974 Erskine Childers Jr was born in London.

His father was a prominent Republican and was on the Anti-Treaty side during the Civil War but was captured and executed. Erskine Childers Jr was a member of Fianna Fï¿½il and served as a minister in five governments. He was Tï¿½naiste prior to his election as President on June 25, 1973. However on November 17, 1974, he died suddenly aged 68. ï¿½ Cearbhall ï¿½ Dï¿½laigh 1974-1976 Cearbhall ï¿½ Dï¿½laigh was born in Wicklow. He was President of the Supreme Court and a judge in the European Court of Justice. He was 63 when he became President on December 19, 1974. However he resigned on October 22, 1976, after he was criticised by a government minister for referring a Bill to the Supreme Court before he signed it into law. He later died on March 21, 1978.

ï¿½ Patrick Hillery 1976-1990 Patrick Hillery was born in Clare. He was a member of Fianna Fï¿½il and served as a minister on four occasions. As minister for Foreign Affairs he negotiated Ireland's entry into the EEC (now the EU) in 1973. He was also Ireland's first European Commissioner. He was not elected President but was an agreed candidate and took up office on December 3, 1976. He served two terms and retired on December 2,1990. ï¿½ Mary Robinson/Maire mhic Roibin 1990-1997 Mary Robinson was born in Mayo. She was a barrister and lecturer of Law at Trinity College. She was also a member of the Labour Party. She was elected President on December 7, 1990 and at 46 she was the youngest person to become President. During her term she travelled widely and increased the profile of the Presidency both at home and abroad. She resigned two months before the end of her first term in order to become United Natons Commissioner for Refugees.

ï¿½ Mary McAleese/Maire mhic Giolla Iosa 1997 - Mary McAleese was born in Belfast. Like Mary Robinson she was lecturer in Law at Trinity College and before becoming President she was Pro Vice-Chancellor at Queen's University, Belfast. She was elected President on November 11, 1997,beating four other candidates of which only one was male. ï¿½ Female Presidents FEMALE PRESIDENTS and Woman Premier Ministers 06.04.1940-11.10.1944 Head of State Khertek Anchimaa-Toka, People's Republic of Tannu Tuva As Chairperson of the Presidium of the Parliament, the Little Hï¿½ral, Khertek Amyrbitovna was the Head of the state which became Independent in 1921, a People's Republic in 1926, was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1944. She had held various jobs in local administration and the party administration, Chairperson of the Women Department of the Central Committee of the Tuvinian People's Revolutionary Party 1938-1940.

Married to the First Secretary of the TPRP, Salchak Kalbakkhorekovich Toka in 1940, Deputy Chairperson of Oblast Executive Committee 1944-1961 and Deputy Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of Tuva 1961-1972. She lived (1912-2008). 31.10.1968-24.02.1972 Acting Head of State Song Qingling, China 06.07.1976-05.03.78 Joint Acting Head of State 1979-1980 "Honorary President" Born into a rich Christian family, she was educated in the USA.

In 1927-29 Member of Government Council, 1929-49 Leader of Opposition against her brother-in-Law President Chiang Kai-chek and 1948 Honorary Chairperson of the Kuomintang, 1949-54 Deputy Premier Minister, 1954-59 Vice-Chairperson of The Peoples' Republic (Deputy Head of State), 1954-76 and 1975-78 Vice-Chairperson of the National People’s Congress, Vice-Chairperson of China People’s Consultative Consultative Conference, CPPCC. In 1968-74 the Post of Chair of the Republic was vacant and she and the other Vice-Chairperson, Dong Bow shared the Presidential Powers. In 1976 the Chairman of the NPC died and the 21 vice-chairmen, including Song, acted as collective heads of state until 1978 when a replacement was elected. 1980 she was Chairperson of the 3rd Session of the National People’s Congress.

Soong Qingling was widow of Sun Yat-Sen, Provisoric President of China in 1911. Her sister Soong May-ling (b. 1897) played a crucial role as wife of Chiang Kai-chek, President of China till 1945 and of Taiwan 1945-75. And her brother, T. V. Soong, was Premier Minister in Taiwan. A third sister was a business magnate. She lived (1893-1981). 01.07.1974- 24.03.1976 Executive President Maria Estella Martï¿½nez de Perï¿½n, Argentina Isabel Peron was Vice-President and President of the Senate 1973-74. As Executive President she was also head of the Cabinet. Chairperson of Partido Justicial, The Peronist party 1974-85, removed by a coup d'ï¿½tat and in Prison 1976-78, Exile in Spain 1981-93.

She was married to General Juan Peron, who was President two times. (b. 1931-). 17.11.1979-18.07.1980 Interim Executive President Lydia Gueiler Tejada, Bolivia As President she was also Head of the Cabinet. Lidia Gueiler was member of Parliament 1956-64 and afterwards in exile for 15 years. Circa 1978 Subsecretary for Agriculture, 1978 President of Camera de Diputados. Acting President of the Congress and acting Deputy Head of State 1978-79.She was President of Partido Revolucionario de los Izquierda Nazional Gueiler 1979-94, Exile in France 1980-82, Ambassador in Embassy to West Germany 1982-83, and to Venezuela 1983-86 and since 1993 She was deposed by the 129th Coup d'ï¿½tat in the history of Bolivia, shortly before elections was due.

She lived (1921-2011). 01.08.1980-01.08.1996 President Vigdï¿½s Finnbogadï¿½ttir, Iceland In 1972-80 Director of Iceland’s National Theatre was the world’s first democratically elected female President. Since 1996 she has been involved in a wide range of international humanitarian and cultural organizations. She was a divorcee and mother of an adopted a daughter. (b.1930-). 01.04-01.10.1981 Captain Regent Maria Lea Pedini Angelini, San Marino Every 6th month The Consiglio Grande e Generale elects two Captain Regents, who acts as heads of State and Government and as Chairmen of the Consiglio Grande e Generale. From circa 1991 she has been Director in Ministry of Government and Foreign Affairs, since 1995 Ambassador in the Ministry to Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland etc. (b. 1954- ).

15.02.1982-15.02.1987 President Agatha Barbara, Malta Labour M.P 1947-82 and for long periods the only woman in Parliament. Minister of Education and Culture 1955-58 and 1971-74 Labour, Welfare and Culture (Third in Cabinet) 1974-81. In the last period she was Acting Prime Minister on various brief occasions. She resigned as President 2 years ahead of time because Labour lost the 1987-elections. She lived (1923-2002). 01.04.1984-01.10.1984 and 01.10.1989-01.04.90 Captain Regent Gloriana Ranocchini, San Marino Member of the Parliament. (b. 1957-).

14.05-16.05.1984 Acting Head of State Carmen Pereira, Guinea Bissau Has been Member of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC) since 1962 and later Political Commissioner for the Southern Front, and only female member of the 24 members Committee Executivo da Luta (CEL). In 1973-84 Deputy President of Assemblï¿½ia Nacional Popular, 1975-80 President of the Parliament of Cap Verde (which was in union with Guinea Bissau at the time) 1981-83 Minister of Health and Social Affairs 1984-89 President of Assemblï¿½ia Nacional Popular, 1989-94 Member the Council of State and 1990-91 Minister of State (Deputy Premier) for Social Affairs. She acted as head of state after Joï¿½o Bernardo Viera, Head of state since 1980, was elected President in 1984.

In 1999 he was deposed after a military coup d'ï¿½tat. (b. 1937-). 25.2.1986-30.06.1992 Executive President Maria Corazï¿½n Sumulong Cojuangco Aquino, The Philippines Cory Aquino became leader of the opposition after the murder of her husband Ninoi Aquino in 1986, and was brought to power by the so-called "People Power", which protested about President Marcos's attempts to remain in power. She was also Head of the Cabinet. 1998 among the senior advisors of the new President Estrada. During her term in office she fought off 8 attempted coup d'ï¿½tats. Constitutionally barred from running for re-election. Mother of 4 children. She lived (1933-2009).

13.03.1990-07.02.1991 Acting President Ertha Pascal-Trouillot, Haiti She was the first female High Court Judge 1986-90, and became acting President during the turbulent political situation in Haiti in a period where one Coup d'ï¿½tat followed the other. She was held hostage on one occasion by soldiers attempting a coup. (b. 1943-). 05.04.1990-02.10.1990 Acting Head of State Dr. Sabine Bergmann-Pohl, East-Germany As President of the People's Chamber she was acting as the last Head of State of the German Democratic Republic, DDR/GDR before the reunification. After the reunification she was Federal Minister without Portfolio for the New Bundesstates 1990-91, Parliamentary State Secretary of Health 1991-98 and member of the Bundestag 1998-2002. Mother of two children. (b. 1946-).

25.04.1990-10.01.1997 Executive President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, Nicaragua In 1979 Doï¿½a Violeta was member of the Ruling Junta after the overthrow of the Somoza-dictatorship but left because of disagreement with the Sandinistas. Between 1979-90 Publisher of the opposition newspaper La Prensa after the murder of her husband, opposition leader Joaquï¿½n Chamorro Cardenal. As Executive President she was also Head of the Cabinet and Minister of Defence. She did not run for re-election. (b. 1929- ). 03.12.1990-12.09.1997 President Mary Robinson, Ireland In 1969 she was appointed Professor of Law, 1970-90 she was Labour-senator. She did not run for re-election. From 1997 she has been Assistant Secretary General and United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights. Mother of two children. (b. 1944-).

01.10.1991-01.04.1992 Captain Regent Edda Ceccoli, San Marino Member of the leadership of Partito Democratico Cristano Sammarinese. 01.04.1993-01.10.1993 Captain Regent Patrizia Busignani, San Marino 1983-90 President of Partito Socialista Unitario. From around 1997 she was Chief of the Parliamentary Group of Socialisti per le Riforme. In March 2006 she was candidate for the post for the period starting in April 2006. 27.10.1993-05.02.1994 Acting Head of State Sylvie Kinigi, Burundi By the time of her appointment as Premier she was Head of the Economic Planning Office in the President’s Office. During the Civil War the President was killed and as the highest ranking remaining official, she became Acting President (27.10.93-5.2.94). After her resignation, she left politics and joined the Burundi’s Commercial Bank. (b.

1952-). 14.11.1994-19.11.2005 Executive President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Sri Lanka Vice-President 1984-86 and President of Sri Lanka Maha Jana Party 1984-86, Leader of United Socialist Alliance 1988 and since 1993 Leader of People’s Alliance and Deputy Leader of Sri Lanka Freedom Party, 1993-94 Chief Minister of the Colombo Province and in a few months in 1994 Prime Minister. As Executive President she was also Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and held the Portfolio of Defence and Finance and Planning 1994-2001 and was Minister of Defence, Information and Interior from November 2003. She is the first person in the world to be daughter of two premier ministers, Solomon and Sirivamo Bandaranaike and the first to have appointed her mother to the post of Prime Minister. Her husband politician Vijaya K.

was assassinated 1988, and during the Presidential campaign in 2000 she survived an assassination-attempt but lost vision in one eye. She was not allowed to stand for re-election in 2005. She is mother of 2 children. (b. 1945-). 03.09.1996-02.08.1997 Chairman of the Council of State Ruth Perry, Liberia Ruth Sando Fahnbulleh Perry was a senator 1985-96. Appointed to chair the Council of State preparing the transfer to democracy after many years of civil war. From 1999 Ruth Perry was 1. Vice-Chairperson of the Organization for African Unity. She lived (1939-2017). 09.02.1997-11.02.1997 Acting Executive President Rosalia Arteaga Serrano de Fernï¿½ndez de Cï¿½rdova, Ecuador A former minister, she was Vice-President 1994-98 and Presidential Candidate in 1998.

She was inaugurated as Acting President after her predecessor was removed from office but two days after the Congress nominated someone else. As Executive President she was also Head of the Cabinet. Presidential Candidate in 1997. (b. 1953-). 11.11.1997-11.11.2011 President Mary McAleese, Ireland Professor of Law and 1993-97 Pro-chancellor of University of Belfast, the first person from Northern Ireland to be elected President of Ireland. During the 1997-elections 5 candidates were female and there was only one token male candidates finishing a distant last. 2004 she was returned unopposed for a second term. (b. 1951-). 19.12.1997-11.08.99 Executive President Janet Jagan, Guyana Her country's first white and first female President and was executive President but worked together with the Prime Minister.

1950-90 she held leading posts in the Progressive People's Party, PPP, 1953 Deputy President of the National Assembly, 1954 imprisoned by the British authorities for her activities for independence 1957-61. Minister of Labour, Health and Housing, 1963-64 Minister of Home Affairs (Senator), 1973-97 Editor-in-Chief of The Mirror, 1993 Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations. In 1997 her husband, President Dr. Cheddi Bharat Jagan, died, and she was chosen to replace the Premier, who had become President. Janet was chosen as her party's candidate in the following Presidential elections. She was in office until July 1999 when she suffered a mild hart attack and chose to resign from her post 3 years ahead of time. Born as Janet Rosenberg in Chicago, mother of two children and lived (1920-2009).

01.01.1999-31.12.1999 President of the Confederation Ruth Dreifuss, Switzerland A former trade union-leader, she was Councillor of Interior in 1992-2002 and Vice-President 1998-99. (b. 1939-). 01.04.1999-01.10.1999 and 01.04.2008-01.10.2008 Captain Regent Rosa Zafferani, San Marino Director in the Department of Finance, Budget and Programs before she was elected to the Consiglio Grande e Generale in 1998. Secretary of State of Health, Social Security and Provision 2002-04, Secretary of State of Public Education, University and Cultural Institutions from 2004 and 2005-06 also in charge of Internal Affairs. (b. 1960 in USA).

08.07.1999-08.07.2007 President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, Latvia Born in Latvia and grew up in refugee camps in Germany, went to school in French Morocco, University studies in Canada. Retired from the Universite de Montreal in 1998, after being a professor of psychology there since 1965 and involved in various scientific and administrative committees, among others as Vice-Chairperson of the Science Council of Canada. She moved to Latvia as Director of the newly created Latvian Institute in Riga. Candidate for the Post of Secretary General of the United Nations in 2006. Married to her fellow countryman, Imants Freibergs, also exiled in Canada, who moved to Latvia in October 1999. Mother of a son and a daughter. (b. 1937-).

01.09.1999-01.09.2004 Executive President Mireya Moscoso Rodrï¿½gez, Panama Since 1991 President of the Arnolfist Party (now Panameï¿½ista), 1994 Presidential Candidate. As Executive President she is also head of the Cabinet, and she is the first female President to have officially appointed a First Lady - her sister, Ruby Moscoso de Young. She was constitutionally barred from running for re-election. Mireya was first married to President Arnulfo Arias Madrid (1901-88) who was President of Panama 1940-41, 1949-51 and 1968. Married to Mr. Gruber 1991-97 and mother of an adopted a child. (b. 1946-).

01.03.2000-01.03.2012 President Tarja Halonen, Finland Member of Parliament 1979-2000, 1984-87 Chairperson of the Social Affairs Committee and Member of the Presidium of the Parliament, 1987-1990 Second Minister of Health and Social Affairs (Health Minister) and 1989-1991 Minister of Nordic Co-operation, 1989-91 Co-leader of Soumen Sosialidemokraattinen Pulolue, The Social Democrats. 1990-1991 Minister of Justice 1995-2000 Minister of Foreign Affairs. The position as President is very powerful - especially concerning foreign politics. Mother of one daughter. In August 2000 she married her partner trough a decade, Pentti Arajï¿½rvi. They did not live together before they moved into the Presidential palace. Mother of one daughter. (b. 1943-).

01.04.2000-01.10.2000 Capitano Reggente Maria Domenica Michelotti, San Marino Former lecturer at San Marino University and Member of the Consiglio Grande e Generale since 1998. She is widow and her married name was Casadei Michelotti. Mother of two girls (b. 1952-). 20.01.2001-30.06.2010 Executive President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, The Philippines As executive GMA is also Head of the Cabinet. 1987-1989 she was Assistant Secretary and 1989-92 Undersecretary of Trade and Industry and Senator 1992-98. Secretary of Social Development and Welfare 1998-2000 and The President charged her with the leadership of the Cabinet Meetings. In 2000 she resigned from her cabinet-post after President Estrada was accused of accusations. In January 2001 he was forced to vacate the presidency and she succeeded him.

2002 and 2003 also Minister of Foreign Affairs and 2003 and 2006-07 Minister of Defence. 2004 she was re-elected to the post of President. In 2011 she was arrested on charges for electoral fraud. Daughter of the late President Diosdado Macapagal and Dr. Evangeline Macaraeg-Macapagal, mother of two sons and a daughter (b. 1947-). 23.07.2001-20.10.2004 Executive President Megawati Sukarnoputri, Indonesia When Megawati Setyawati Soekarnoputri became leader of the Democratic Party in 1993, she triggered the opposition against President Quarto. In 1999 her party won the most seats in the Parliament, but Abdulrahman Wahid was elected President. This caused serious riots all over the country and she was elected vice-President the following day. In August 2000 the ailing President Wahid charged her with the running of the daily business of the government and state and she chaired the cabinet meetings.

At the 23rd of July he was ousted and she inaugurated as President. In 2004 she lost her bid for re-election. Ibu Mega, as she is known, is daughter of Indonesia's founding father Sukarno, is married for the 3rd time and mother of 3 children. (b. 1946-). 30.12.2002-04.02.2004 Acting President Natasa Micic, Serbia As President of the Assembly since 2001, she became Acting President since the attempt to elect a President failed twice. She continued her duties as Chairperson of the Parliament. (b.1965-).

01.10.2003-31.03.2004 Capitano Reggente Valeria Ciavatta, San Marino 01.04.2014-10.10.2014 Capitano Reggente Member of the Grand and General Council for the Alianza Populare since 1993 and Chairperson of the Council Group 2002-05, Party President 2006, Minister of Minister of Internal Affairs and Civil Protection and Accomplishment of the Programme 2006-12. As Captain Regent, she was joint head of a state with a man, and also President of the Parliament and Head of Government. Mother of twins. (b. 1959-).

23.11.2003-25.01.2004 Acting Executive President Nino Burjanadze, Georgia 25.11.2007-20.01.2008 Acting Executive President As Chairperson of the Parliament 2001-08, she took over after former President Eduard Shevardnadze was forced to resign as result of a "velvet revolution" after he rigged the parliamentary elections and in 2007 she aced as President again as the incumbent, Mikheil Saakashvili, resigned to run in the January 2008-elections. President of Burjanadze-Democrats 2003-08 and of Democratic Movement - United Georgia since 2008 and Presidential Candidate in 2013. Her full name is Nino Anzoris asuli Burjanadze, and her surname is also transcribed as Burdzhanadze. Mother of two children. (b. 1964-).

06.07.2004-08.07.2004 Member of the Joint Acting Presidency Barbara Prammer, Austria As Vice-President of the National Assembly she assumed the Presidential duties together with the two other members of the Presidium, when the outgoing President died two days before his successor was to take office in July. She was a former Federal Minister, President of the Nationalrat from 2006 until her death and a leading member of the Social Democrats of Austria, SPï¿½ She lived (1954-2014) 01.04.2005-01.10.2005 Capitano Reggente Fausta Simona Morganti, San Marino In 1974 she was one of the first three women elected to the Consiglio Grande e Generale.

1978-83 and 1988-92 Minister of State of Culture, Education and Justice, In the late 1990s Leader in Partito Progressista Democartico Sammarinese and Chief of the Parliamentary Group from around 1997 to 2002 and then again later in 2002 and Secretary of State of Public Education, Universities, Cultural Institutions and Social Affairs in 2002. (b. 1944-). 16.01.2006- Executive President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Liberia 1972-73 and 1977-79 Secretary of State of Finance, 1979-80 Minister of Finance, 1980 President of the National Bank, 1980-85 worked for the World Bank, 1985-86 in house arrest after her return, 1990-92 Leading member of exile-government of Amos Sawyer in United States of America, 1992-97 African Director of the UNDP (United Nations Development Program).

From 1997 Leader of the Unity Party. Presidential Candidate in 1997, Candidate for the Chairmanship of the National Transitional Government in 2003 and finally won the presidential elections in November 2005. She is divorced, mother of a number of children, and grandmother. (b. 1938-). 11.03.2006-11.03.2010 Executive President Michelle Bachelet Jeria, Chile 11.03.2014- Executive President 2000-02 Minister of Health and 2002-04 Minister of Defence. Her father, a general, was killed by the Pinochet dictatorship. Her boyfriend was also detained, tortured and disappeared. She and her mother were also detained and tortured and afterwards lived in exile in Australia and East Germany. She returned to Chile in 1979 and worked for various NGOs helping children of the tortured and disappeared. She had two children with her first husband and a daughter with her former partner. (b. 1952-).

01.01.2007-31.12.2007 President of the Confederation Micheline Calmy-Rey, Switzerland 01.01.2011-31.12.2011 President of the Consideration Former President of the Socialist Party of Gï¿½nï¿½ve, she was President of the Grand Conseil of Gï¿½nï¿½ve 1993, Councillor of Finance 1997-2002, Vice-President of the Cantonal Government 2000-01 and President of the Cantonal Government 2001-02. Federal Foreign Minister 2003-11 and Vice-President in 2006 and 2010. Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf was elected Vice-President for 2011, the first time two women would fill the two highest post in the country. (b. 1945-).

Question: Who was the first female president of the Irish Republic?
Answer: MARY ROBINSON